WHITE SOX NOTES.

May slump hits Konerko

Batting average plunges for 2nd straight season

SEATTLE — Some hitters struggle against certain pitchers and some can't buy a hit against certain teams.

But Paul Konerko's biggest struggles occur when the calendar flips from April to May, and this season is no exception.

Konerko was hitting .351 as recently as April 28 and had a career-high 14-game hitting streak at one point. But he has seen his average plunge 88 points since the start of May, down to .263 after striking out four times Wednesday night in four at-bats.

Konerko's average of .143 in May entering Wednesday's game was the worst among American League hitters and it's eerily similar to last year. In 2000 he batted .333 during April and .188 in May.

"Last year I had a problem with my foot," Konerko said. "Now I have no excuse."

Konerko is tough on himself, knowing he has the talent to burst out at any moment. Manager Jerry Manuel gave Konerko a night off in the field Wednesday, moving him to the DH slot so Jeff Liefer could get some time at first.

Manuel isn't worried about Konerko's recent slump, knowing that he hit .348 in June last season. Konerko is puzzled by the swoon, but said it isn't a physical or a mental problem.

"I feel good and that's what's bad," he said. "I've had a bad approach at times. I think, with me, it all comes down to pitch selection. It's tough to put a good swing on a bad pitch. Sometimes you hit line drive right at guys. That stuff happens."

With Frank Thomas out for the season, everyone else in the Sox offense has to pick up some of the slack.

"I'm not trying to do too much [with Thomas out]," Konerko insisted. "Sometimes I take a hack, but I take too much of a hack. I know it's going to happen for me.

"Fortunately in the last week, I haven't hit with a lot of guys on base. Magglio [Ordonez] has been clearing them. If you're going to catch a streak like this, you might as well have it when there's not a lot of guys on."

Konerko stranded five runners in Wednesday's 7-2 loss.

Desperately seeking saves: Manuel would rather use Keith Foulke as a ninth inning-only closer but his shaky bullpen has forced him to bring Foulke in during the eighth more often than not. In his first six appearances, Foulke pitched more than one inning only once. In his last nine appearances, Foulke has been used for 1 2/3 or two innings seven times.

"Using him for four, five or six outs, that puts a lot more strain on him than we'd like at this time," Manuel said. "He kind of requested early that he pitch some extra innings to get his feel. That's OK early, but as you go on you'd like your closer to get those last three outs only."

Manuel needs set-up men Bob Howry, Kelly Wunsch and Lorenzo Barcelo to be consistent enough so Foulke can return to being a one-inning closer.

"I'm comfortable with the way Bob is throwing right now," Manuel said. "The velocity is coming back a little bit. Kelly and Lorenzo have been pitching better lately as well."

Manuel isn't worried that moving Jon Garland to the bullpen will shake the confidence of the 21-year-old:

"In the old days, some starters [from Triple A] would come up and spend a year or a year and a half in the bullpen until they proved they could get the big league hitters out."